


Run.exe

by ZaliaChimera



Category: The Walk (Game)
Genre: Arguing, Break Up, Dead goldfish, F/M, First Meetings, Harm to Animals, Manipulation, Original Character(s), Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-07
Updated: 2014-06-07
Packaged: 2018-02-03 17:08:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1752326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZaliaChimera/pseuds/ZaliaChimera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lawrence is terrible at relationships, but maybe this time there’s someone waiting to pick up the pieces. Spoilers up to Episode 22.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Run.exe

“Oh come on Mel! You're being unreasonable!”

Lawrence's girlfriend (ex-girlfriend? Probably ex-girlfriend now) shoves another pile of clothes roughly at him, and he barely manages to keep hold of them. She looks ready to murder.

“Unreasonable? You murdered my goddam _fish_ Lawrence.”

“I don't think it's murder if it's fish,” he says, pretty reasonably he thinks. He's not being angry or pushy, just stating the facts. Melissa doesn't seem to see it that way. Not with the way she hurls one of his text books at him. 

She's got terrible aim.

“I _trusted_ you Lawrence! I come back from holiday and you've killed them!”

“It was an _accident_ ,” he lies, and lies earnestly.

She stares at him for a long moment, fury written across her face. “You poured nail polish remover into the tank, Lawrence. _How_ is that possibly an accident?”

She does have a point. That kind of thing is pretty hard to claim as an accident. He drops that defence, and shrugs dismissively instead. “They're just _fish_ , Mel,” he says. “I don't see what the problem is. Just get more.”

“You- you really _don't_ get it, do you?” she says, studying his face like he's some kind of interesting specimen from her biology class. Whatever she sees, she obviously doesn't like. “Oh my _god_ , you literally think this is just about the fish don't you?”

“Yes?” he replies, giving her a look of abject bafflement that is more genuine than he cares to admit. “You just said it was about the fish.”

It's apparently the wrong answer.

She grabs his laptop, hefting it like she's gonna hurl it, her face cold and angry. He grabs her wrist hard before she can do it, and for a second there's a sickly satisfying flash of fear in her eyes. He wrestles the laptop out of her hands, clutching it protectively. When he releases her, she takes a quick step back out of reach and shakes out her wrist. She keeps her eyes on him warily as he puts his computer into his bag.

“Jesus, and you still think you did nothing wrong?” she mutters. “I'm gonna have bruises. Jess was right about you. You are fucked up.”

“It's just a few fish you're getting overemotional about,” he says sourly, and rolls his eyes. Why had he every bothered with her? People were completely irrational. 

“No,” she says firmly. “I asked you to take care of them and you killed them on purpose. It's that I can't trust you with anything. It's that you don't see anything wrong with the fact that you _killed_ something just because you thought it was interesting or funny or whatever is going on in your head. Christ, why is that so difficult to understand?”

“It's not like I killed a person,” Lawrence replied, irritation rearing it's head. “Or a cat or something that people actually care about.” 

“Get out of my house, Lawrence,” she says. “I swear, if I see you here again, I'll call the police.”

“Oh come _on_ ,” he protests. “That's ridiculous! Over a few fish!”

“It's _not_ the fish, Lawrence,” Mel snaps. “It's been coming for a while. One day you're gonna burn and I don't want to be around when it happens 'cause you'll take everyone nearby down with you and laugh while you do it. Now get out!”

“Fine,” Lawrence says, his voice low and vicious. He gathers up his things, slings the rucksack onto his shoulders, and stalks out, every line of his body taut with anger.

She closes the door behind him. He thinks he hears the key turning in the lock. 

What does she think he's gonna do? Force his way back in and give her an excuse to call the police? That would look really bad on his CV.

Of course, now there's the question of where to go. His flat is out since he'd let Nick borrow it for a few days. Well, he had expected to be spending the night at Mel's place, but obviously that won't be happening now. It's inconvenient.

He definitely doesn't have the money for a hotel.

The lab. It will have to be the lab. At least he has a key to get in after hours in case Professor Emmanuel calls him in. That will have to do. Maybe he can actually get some work done. He does have papers to catch up on. 

The bus runs right next to the university and he waves to the security guards as he enters, flashing his badge at them. He's well known enough that they barely even glance. The building is mostly abandoned at this time of night, which suits him fine, and he locks the door to the lab once he's inside. Probably best not to deal with people at all until he's in better control of himself.

It's not like he can even grumble about women. Men aren't any better either. He's pretty much straight, but sex is sex and sex is _useful_ and feels good and men might talk a good game but they catch you jacking off to Hostel _once_ and start freaking out.

He dumps his stuff and goes to play some music. 

His computer is already on.

That gives him pause for a minute, a frown crossing his face. He's sure he'd switched it off before leaving. He's sure someone would have switched it off if he hadn't. Maybe they'd forgotten? Or someone else is planning on coming back.

He sits down anyway. It isn't like it matters. He can work on his reports and try to get caught up and then, oh god, he's got undergrad essays to mark which is always a laugh a minute.

He pulls up one of his documents and turns away for a second to grab a bottle of water. He could order pizza he supposed. It won't be the first time that he's had food delivered to the lab.

When he looks back at the screen, there's an IM window flashing. University intra-net.

**Marianne: Hello?**

Lawrence hesitates. He doesn't recognise the name or the address attached. Although... he thinks he vaguely remembers the Professor talking about his daughter. Hadn't her name been something like that?

He should probably pay more attention.

**Lawrence: Hey.**

**Marianne: You're back. I was waiting.**

_Weird_.

**Lawrence: Uh... okay. Who is this?**

**Marianne: I'm Professor Emmanuel's daughter. And you're Lawrence right? His research assistant?**

**Lawrence: Yeah. How d'you know?**

**Marianne: He's told me about you. A bit. He said I should talk to you.**

**Lawrence: Well, I've got a long night ahead. Not gonna complain about the company, Marianne. Mari? Annie?**

**Marianne: You could... yes, you could call me Soleil.**


End file.
